Epaphroditidae sensu novo, an Endemic Caribbean Family of Morphologically Divergent Praying Mantises (Insecta, Mantodea).

Three endemic Caribbean praying mantis genera with a complex taxonomic history were recently discovered to be part of a lineage that colonized the Caribbean region during the Cretaceous period (Svenson & Rodrigues, Proc R Soc B Biol Sci 284, 2017). In all classification systems proposed up to now, the three genera, Callimantis, Epaphrodita, and Gonatista, were never considered as close relatives, a reflection of their divergent morphology. More recently, the genus Brancsikia was placed with Epaphrodita in a family based on the similarity of camouflage-related morphology. To address recent phylogenetic results that do not track current classification, we compared the morphology of the three Caribbean genera with each other and representative members of traditional or current family groups. Our morphological analysis of external and male genital characters provides strong support for the Caribbean lineage despite the divergent morphological evolution present in the three genera. We raise this Caribbean lineage to family status by employing a precedent family-group name, Epaphroditidae Brunner de Wattenwyl, 1893 sensu novo. We remove Brancsikia from our new concept of Epaphroditidae, rendering the genus incertae sedis.

Anti-inflammatory, analgesic activity and acute toxicity of Sida cordifolia L. (Malva-branca).

Sida cordifolia L. (Malvaceae) is used in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammation of the oral mucosa, blenorrhea, asthmatic bronchitis and nasal congestion. The anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects and acute toxicity of an aqueous extract of S. cordifolia were evaluated in animal models. The extract was prepared using leaves collected before the flowering period. The aqueous extract (AE) showed a significant inhibition of carrageenin-induced rat paw edema at a dose of 400 mg/kg administered orally, but did not block the edema induced by arachidonic acid. The AE also increased the latency period for mice in the hot plate test, and inhibited the number of writhes produced by acetic acid at the oral dose of 400 mg/kg. The aqueous extract of S. cordifolia showed low acute toxicity in mice.